Best Car Stereo Reviews 2021

Prices for car stereos are quite varied, depending on their type, make and connectivity options. For example, you might have to pay between about $70 and up to $500 for a high-quality car stereo. The ones that cost several hundreds of dollars usually incorporate a touchscreen display you can use to access the functions of the stereo, making your experience simpler and more pleasant. If you prefer old-school players, stick to those which come with old-fashioned physical buttons, but don’t underestimate their capabilities.

Also, be aware that the market offers you numerous enticing options – aka excessively cheap car stereos. Paying anything under $50-$60 for a car stereo is a waste of money in the long run, because such products don’t offer many features and can break down easily.

We want to help you recognize and identify a high-quality car stereo when you see one, so here are a few important aspects you should keep in mind when shopping for car stereos.

• Type - As mentioned above, they usually come in two types – with LCD screen or without. It is up to you which one you prefer, but keep in mind that the ones with touchscreen display even allow you to play your favorite movies. Don’t try that while driving, though.
• Playback Support - Most of them support CDs and DVDs, but certain stereos also offer you the possibility to play music directly from a USB stick.
• Bluetooth Connectivity - This is necessary if you want to play music directly from your phone, tablet or laptop.
• Compatibility - Today's car stereos can be compatible with your Android or iPhone, making it very easy for you to connect the two of them and browse for your favorite music. In some cases, you can even listen to music from installed apps on your phone.

These are only a few interesting features to keep in mind, but there are plenty others. For example, most high-quality stereos come with a remote, so you can control the music playback and volume even when you are outside the car. If you are a novice when it comes to car stereos and want something to play the preferred, good ol' FM radio station, go for a less sophisticated product at first, otherwise, pick a more advanced player.

Before ordering, it is a good idea to ensure that your selected car stereo is compatible with the vehicle you have. This can be done easily by visiting the manufacturer's website and checking for compatibility. You might also want to get details about the output of a particular car stereo. For example, high-quality players usually have 2V or 4V preamp outputs, which can go to the front speakers, rear speakers and the subwoofer. If you don’t know how these work, maybe it is a good idea to ask a mechanic friend or a professional in an auto shop to install the stereo for you.

If you decide on a sophisticated stereo that includes a touchscreen display, you will be surprised to find that some of them have the screen size of a regular tablet – around six to eight inches. You can control almost everything from there, including the volume, app browser for your phone, graphic equalizer and more. There might be one or two physical buttons for ejecting the CD or DVD.

If you go for regular stereos, these have a small LCD screen where the settings and name of the track are displayed. You can control the stereo using the physical buttons available and take advantage of its Bluetooth capabilities (if any) to play music from your smartphone. We like the fact that some stereos light up in sync with the music played and can display multiple colors while playing the music, transforming your car into a small party stage.

Don’t forget that most car stereos also incorporate a plethora of sound effects, which will make you enjoy your tracks even more. For example, at the press of a button you can enhance the bass or apply low and high-pass filters or various sound effects to improve the quality of the music. Feel free to play with those settings to find the sound you really like.

Today's car stereos can play music in various formats, such as .mp3, .wav, .aac, and many others. You can even play video files if you get a stereo with a touchscreen LCD display, so the passenger next to you (or your kids in the back seat) will stay entertained during a long drive. As a last tip, remember to take a look at the warranty policy the manufacturer provides. Usually, car stereos come with a warranty period of one or two years, and it is a good idea to take advantage of it in case you encounter problems with your product.